Houthi rebels in Yemen carry out missile and drone attacks aimed at Saudi Arabia’s critical infrastructure, including strikes on King Khalid International Airport that reportedly leave 13 people dead and more than 300 injured. Several outlets describe the attacks as persistent and difficult for Riyadh to stop using its existing capabilities.
Riyadh’s defence budget is cited as a key context point: NDTV and others note Saudi Arabia spends about 6.5% of GDP, amounting to roughly $83 billion on defence. Despite this scale and the presence of advanced weaponry, outlets point to limitations in how force translates into battlefield effectiveness against an asymmetric opponent. They cite factors such as coordination challenges and the low-cost, flexible nature of Houthi drones and missiles, which allow strikes to continue even when Saudi forces have major assets.
Forbes adds a broader framing, arguing the situation exposes structural weaknesses and raises concerns for Saudi security, alongside the pressure such conflict places on the country’s wider economic goals.
